Surface condenser



2 Sheets Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. W. TUCKER.

SURFACE CONDENSER.

. Patented May 21, 1889.

(No Model.) 2 Shee1;sSheet 2. W; TUCKER.

SURFAGE CONDENSER.

No. 403,799. Patented May 21, 1889.

by afiording it a clearer passage, thereby redncing back-pressure, and also to effect the NITE STATES SURFACE CONDENSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,799, dated May 21. 18 89.

Application filed Jul 6,1888. Serial in. 279,201. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, -EDWIN- WARREN TUCKER, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of'California, have invented an Improvementin Surface Condensers; and I hereby declare the following to be a clear, full,

and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to that class of surface condensers in which the tubes are arranged in groups or sections, adapting any to the face of the tube-sheet and receiving and holding the forward ends of all the tubes; and my invention finally consists in a novel construction of the tubes themselves, all of which I shall hereinafter more fully describe. I The general object of my invention is to provide a practically-constructed condenser in which groups or sections of tubes-may be readily removed and replaced without inter-v fering with other groups or sections. The

object of the securing-plate on the face of the tube-sheet is to avoid the use of separate gland-nuts for each tube and to permit any or all of the tubes of any given section or group or of the whole condenser to be readily taken out upon the removal of said plate.

The object of the peculiar construction of tubes is to avoid interference with the steam required condensation with less cooling-surface than is usual with the ordinary tubes. Further objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of the condenser, two of the groups or 4 sections of tubes being in elevation and partly pulled out. Fig. 2 is an end viewof the-condenser, the front plate, a, being re moved and a portion of the tube-sheets broken away, and showing also the improved shape of the tube. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the forward end of the condensershell, the groups or sections of tubes being in elevation. Fig. 4 is a detail section showin the improved means for securing the tubes in their sheets.

A is the casing or shell of the condenser, having at each end the usual water-space, a, and division-plates, so that the circulating water can be passed through as many times as desired, with inlet and outlet, and at the top the usual steam-passage, a.

B are the tubes, and b are the tube-sheets at each end. These tubes are grouped in sections, here shown as three in number, and located in vertical series. The tubes of each section are thus framed in.

Parallel side plates, C, are bolted to the tube-sheets, and cross-plates c are bolted to the side plates, and the tubes pass through and are supported by the cross-plates. There are no top and bottom plates, so'th'at each sectionis open above and below, and a free passageis afiorded throughout the vertical series.

Mounted in the lower edges of the side plates near'each end and also opposite the, cross- ,plates are the rollers D.v The rollers of the lowermost section rest and travel upon the bottom plate of the shell A, and therollers of the other sections travel upon the top of the side plates of the section below, said top being made with a flange, c, to afford a proper bearing.

The rear tube-sheets, b, have projecting studs or bolts b, which pass through holes in the back plate of the shell and are secured by nuts b The forward end of the shell has an inner flange, from which project the fixed studs or bolts 0?,over-which fit the projecting edges of the forward tube-sheets, b, said tube-sheets being secured by nuts o Upon the adjacent edges of the tube-sheets of each section are fitted the studs or bolts b and over these are fitted the horizontal butt-straps .F, which overlap the edges of the sections and hold them in place, said butt-straps being secured by nuts f, fitted to the bolts b To the outer flange of the front of the-shell is bolted .the head-plate (1- forming the other watershell. Now it will be seen that upon removing the head-plate a thus exposing the tubesections, and by removing one or more of the butt-straps and taking off the nuts a any or all of the tube-sections may beseparately terference with the others, f0r the uppersec- I tions do not depend for their support upon the sections below, because their rear tube-sheets are connected with the rear plate of the shell, which serves to sustain the rear end of an upper section while the upper one is pulled out, the forward end being supported bythe inner flange of the face of the-shell. tions are wholly independent of each other, and may be pulled out independently. v The rollers on which the sections are mounted enable them to run easily, so that they may be pulled out and replaced without'any trouble. When the sections arepushed back in place, they are secured quickly by the application of the butt-straps. f The ordinary way of securing the tubes in the tube-sheet is to hold them by means of a gland-nut, which presses upon packing to form a tight joint. With this construction, in order to remove any single tube, it. is necessary to take oif the gland-nut, and where a number of tubes have to be separately removed,

or all of them, to re-tin or clean them, the gland-nut of each tube is first taken out. In order to avoid this laborious operation and to providefor a simple and convenient manner of securing the tubes in the sheets and forming an equally tight joint, I apply to the face of thetube-sheets a supplemental plate, G, having holes which receive the projecting ends plate, instead of having to replace each one separately. v This-plate forms a tight joint with the face of the tube-sheet, as the pressure is inwardly, and the packing is held well in place. V

Although I have shown the ordinary round or cylindrical tube, I have invented an improved tube, whichI show in Fig. 2. The ordinary tube I would allow to remain in those condensers which are already in use, for to this tube the improvements heretofore described may be as readily applied; but in condensers to be hereafter manufactured, in addition to the improvements heretofore described, I would make the tubes as shown in said figure. The tubes, instead of being In moving out, the

Thus the secround br cylindrical in cross-section, are made ing from the-top to the bottom of the condenser. In the ordinary construction of tubes arranged as they usually are, out of line with each other, or staggered, it is. obvious that "obstruction is opposedtothe downward passage of the steam, which results in considerable back-pressure, and, moreover, a greatdeal of cooling-surface is wasted; but with'the elongated tube which I'propose to use a clear passage is formed from top to bottom of the condenser, down which the steam may readily pass without obstruction, thereby avoiding so muchback-p ressure', and by the rapidityaof its movement it comes soonerinl'ccmiact with freshcoolingsurfa-ces, whereby a; smaller amount ofsurface is made tmeife'ct the sarne degree-of condensation as the larger cooling surface of the ordinary form; by which the tube sections or groups are framed in have openings cimade in their sides, in order to lighten them up and. to afford greater facility in cleaning the'tubes and guiding them through the division-plates.

' The general advantages of these improvements are these: In having the tubes in removable sections, in substantial framing, constructed as shown, so that they can be easily and quickly removed and replaced without injury. Each section can be easily and conveniently handled and can be set upon trestles at a convenient height on the deck or wharf in the daylight, so that men can work The sideplates, I c

to advantage either in placing or removing the tubes from the frame. Aman can beworked on each end of each section, making six men, where there would and could only be two with the old style, and they working by lamp-light below. The largest ships can have their condensers cleaned during their ordinary laydays, thereby saving the expense and'loss of laying the ship up.

The mode of packing the tubes and holding the packing in position by the supplemental plate saves a great deal of expense in construction and time in placing and remove ing the tubes, as it does away with the glands and the tapping of the'tube-sheets.

I'IO

The elongated tubes allow the exhauststeam to come so much sooner in contact with the cooling-surfaces that it requires lessv surface, is more easily cleaned, and only requires about one-third the time to eitherplace them mit each section tobeindependentlyremoved I and replaced in the condenser-shell without disturbing the others, substantially as herein described.

2. In,a surface condenser,independent sec-v tions or groups of tubes, each framed in. by side plates, said. sections or groups being arranged the one above the other and communicating vertically, and. adapted each to be separately removed from and replaced in the condenser-shell, substantially as herein described.

3. In a surface condenser, the independent.

sections or groups of tubes, each section or group-having a-tube-sheet at each. end and side plates framing it in, whereby each section or group may be separately removed from and replaced in the condenser-shell' without disturbing the others, substantially as herein described. I r

4. In a surface condenser, the independent sections or groups of tubes, each provided with a tube-sheet at each end, side plates by which each .is framed in, and cross-plates bolted to the side plates and supporting the tubes between the tube-sheets, substantially as herein described. w

5. Ina surface condenser, independent sections or groups of tubes, each section or group having a tube-sheet at each end, side plates framing each in, and cross-plates for support ing the tubes between the tube-sheets, and rollers mounted in their lower portion, upon which' said sections rest and travel, whereby theyinay be separately removed and replaced, substantially as herein described.

-=section or group, whereby said sections may.

6. In a surface condenser, and in combination with the shell, independent sections or groups of tubes arranged in vertical series in the shell, each section or group having a tube-sheet at each end, side plates framing each in, and cross supporting-plates for the tubes, and rollers in the lower portion of each bemoved Within the shell and upon each other and adapted to be readily drawn out and pushed in independently, substantially as herein described.

7. In a surface condenser, the shell A, havin g a back plate with holes and a front flange with fixed studs or bolts, in combination with the independent separately-removable sectionsor groups of tubes, each having a tubesheetatits rear end with studs or bolts fittingin the holes of the back plate, and a fronttube-sheet with holes, fitting over the.

studs or bolts of the front flange, whereby said sections or groups are supported in the shell, substantially as herein described.

8. Ina surface condenser, the shell A, having a back plate with holes and a front flange with fixed studs or bolts,'in combination with the independent separately-removable sections or groups of tubes, each having a tubesheet at its rear end with studs 'or,,,bolts fit ting in the holes ofthe backplate and a front tube-sheet with holes fitting over the studs or bolts of the 'front flange, the side plates framingin each section or group of tubes, and the cross-plates supporting the tubes between the tube-sheets, substantially as herein described. 4 J

9. In a surface condenser, the independent separately-removable tube sections or groups, in combination with the butt-straps secured across their fronts and overlapping their adjacent edges, substantially as herein described. 1 K I 10. In a surface condenser, the shell having fixed studs 01 bolts on its front, in combination with the independent separately-removable tube sections or groups having tube-sheets with holes fitting over the studs or bolts of the shell, whereby they are secured, and the butt-straps secured across the front of the sections and overlapping their adjacent edges, substantially as herein described.

11. In asurface condenser, and in combination with the shell thereof, the independent' separately-removable tube sections or groups arranged in vertical series and each having tube-sheets bolted to the shell, and side plates and cross-plates, as described,

I whereby each may be slipped in or out without interfering with one another, and the butt-straps bolted across the front of the sections or groups and overlapping their adjacent edges, substantially as herein described.

J o. S. BOONE, S. H. NoURsE. 

